Resume rules in Costa Rica
What employers in Costa Rica expect on a Currículum Vitae, what the law lets them ask for, and where the two disagree.
Call it a CV for Costa Rica, a resume for Costa Rica, or Currículum Vitae: it's the same document.
This is research, not legal advice. Employment and data protection law changes, state and provincial rules matter in federal countries, and practice varies by industry and seniority. Each entry shows when it was looked up and how confident we are. Where nothing reliable was published it says Not found rather than a guess.
Law and practice, side by side
The label on the right is what local hiring expects. The two lines under it are the law and the habit, which often disagree.
Photo: Common
Common - photos generate professional connection and are often appreciated; still optional and not mandatory
What the law says: No legal requirement for photo on CV; protected under Law No. 8968 (data protection law, 2011) and ARCO rights (access, rectification, cancellation, opposition)
Date of birth: Optional
Optional - sometimes included but increasingly omitted in modern CVs; no employer expectation of mandate
What the law says: No legal requirement; protected under Law No. 8968 and informational self-determination rights
Marital status: Uncommon
Uncommon - rarely included in contemporary CVs
What the law says: No legal requirement; not regulated as hiring factor
Sex or gender: Avoid
Avoid - should not be disclosed unless role-specific
What the law says: Not a standard CV requirement; protected under labor law
Nationality: Optional
Optional - sometimes listed for foreign applicants applying for positions with immigration implications
What the law says: No CV requirement; work permit/visa requirements managed separately
National ID number: Uncommon
Uncommon - not standard practice
What the law says: No requirement to include on CV
The rest of the entry
- Local name of the document
- Currículum Vitae
- Language to submit in
- Spanish; English acceptable for multinational employers and tech sector
- Typical length
- 1-2 pages
- Address detail expected
- City or region preferred over full address for privacy; address in Costa Rica preferred if residing locally
- Signature and date
- Not standard; electronic CVs do not require signature
- Officially prescribed form
- None officially prescribed; Europass format is recognized
- Religion, ethnicity or caste
- No requirement; not to be disclosed
- Health, disability or pregnancy
- No requirement on CV; accommodations handled post-hire
- Other customary attachments
- References increasingly requested; certifications/diplomas usually required separately
- Employer may not ask for
- Personal characteristics protected under Law 8968; age, disability, family status not to be hiring factors
- Named statutes
- Ley No. 8968 (Law for the Protection of the Person with Respect to the Treatment of their Personal Data, 2011) + Executive Decree No. 37554-JP (2012, implementing regulations)
- Data protection regime
- Law No. 8968 (2011) + Executive Decree 37554-JP (2012 regulations); enforced by PRODHAB (data protection agency)
- Anti-discrimination statutes
- Constitutional protections; Labor Code provisions on non-discrimination
- Local language source
- Spanish
Where this came from
Looked up 2026-08-15. Independently checked 2026-08-15. Medium confidence. Result of that check: Confirmed.
Notes: Costa Rica has a data protection law but it is relatively old (2011) and lacks clarity in some areas; a new bill (Project Law 23-097) is pending reform. Modern practice is moving toward minimizing personal data on CVs.
Researched with AI assistants working from a written checklist, then independently checked. How we researched this